Dr. Shaolu Yu, assistant professor of urban studies, received an Early Career Scholar Award at the Race, Ethnicity, Place IX Conference held in Austin, TX, Oct. 23-25.
Faculty, professionals, and graduate students got a chance to engage in discussions of timely and critical issues regarding race and ethnicity in America and worldwide. A small number of Early Career Scholar Awards were given to outstanding scholars who have an active research interest in the conference themes.
Yu has been at Rhodes since 2015 teaching urban studies courses, but she began her new tenure-track position as assistant professor in urban studies this year. At the conference, she co-presented research with Rhodes urban studies alumna Abbey Judd ’15.
Their work titled “Free Music and Public Space: A Comparative Case Study in Memphis, TN” examines the use of urban public space through free cultural events at the Levitt Shell and the Memphis Public Library. Rhodes students Claire McCullough ’19, Natalie Peterson ’20, and Allie Swanson ’20 served as research assistants, designing and conducting surveys as well as analyzing data.
Yu also presented her research on Chinese history in the Mid-South. This research looks at the Chinese experiences in the American South, triangulated between white and black, and manifested in the Chinese grocery stores spread across the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta.